Integrated system and method for automatic rejuvenation of turbine oil for improving equipment reliability

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatic maintenance of lube oil quality include a storage tank for storing fresh lube oil, a lube oil reservoir containing a volume of operational lube oil, and an oil disposal tank. A first controllable flow system transports lube oil from the reservoir to the oil disposal tank, and a second controllable flow system transports fresh lube oil from the storage tank to the reservoir. Provided are a level transmitter to measure a level of lube oil within the reservoir and an antioxidant sensor to measure a concentration of antioxidant level inside the lube oil reservoir. A control system activates and deactivates the first controllable flow system based upon the concentration of antioxidant measured by the antioxidant sensor, and activates and deactivates the second controllable flow system based upon the level of lube oil measured by the level transmitter.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for automatic maintenance of lube oil quality, the system comprising:
 a storage tank for storing a volume of fresh lube oil; 
 a lube oil reservoir containing a volume of operational lube oil; 
 an oil disposal tank; 
 a first controllable flow system for transporting lube oil from the lube oil reservoir to the oil disposal tank; 
 a second controllable flow system for transporting fresh lube oil from the storage tank to the lube oil reservoir; 
 a level transmitter configured to measure a level of lube oil within the lube oil reservoir; 
 an antioxidant sensor configured to measure a concentration of antioxidant level of operational lube oil inside the lube oil reservoir; and 
 a control system configured to:
 activate and deactivate the first controllable flow system based upon the concentration of antioxidant measured by the antioxidant sensor; and 
 activate and deactivate the second controllable flow system based upon the level of lube oil measured by the level transmitter; 
 wherein the control system comprises:
 a first processor configured to activate and deactivate the first controllable flow system based upon the concentration of antioxidant measured by the antioxidant sensor; and 
 a second processor configured to activate and deactivate the second controllable flow system based upon the level of lube oil measured by the level transmitter. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a lube oil circulation system configured to supply lube oil from the lube oil reservoir to rotating equipment and to return lube oil from the rotating equipment to the lube oil reservoir, the return lube oil being depleted in antioxidant. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first controllable flow system comprises a control valve disposed along flow lines fluidly connecting the lube oil reservoir and the oil disposal tank. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first controllable flow system consists of a control valve disposed along flow lines fluidly connecting the lube oil reservoir and the oil disposal tank. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second controllable flow system comprises a pump disposed along flow lines fluidly connecting the storage tank and the lube oil reservoir. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second controllable flow system consists of a pump disposed along flow lines fluidly connecting the storage tank and the lube oil reservoir. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to activate the first controllable flow system when the antioxidant concentration measured is below a concentration set point, thereby providing a flow of lube oil from the lube oil reservoir to the oil disposal tank. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the control system is configured to activate the second controllable flow system when the level of lube oil in the lube oil reservoir decreases to a low level set point, thereby providing fresh lube oil from the storage tank to the lube oil reservoir and increasing a concentration of antioxidant within the lube oil reservoir. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the control system is configured to deactivate the first controllable flow system when the antioxidant concentration is above the concentration set point, thereby stopping the flow of lube oil from the lube oil reservoir to the oil disposal tank. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the control system is configured to deactivate the second controllable flow system when the level of lube oil in the lube oil reservoir reaches a high level set point, thereby stopping a flow of fresh lube oil from the storage tank to the lube oil reservoir. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein an inlet of the lube oil reservoir configured to receive fresh lube oil from the storage tank is located below a maximum oil level of the lube oil reservoir, and wherein an oil circulating line for an antioxidant sensor is placed near an opening of a drain line for transporting lube oil from the lube oil reservoir to the oil disposal tank. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the control system is configured to estimate a time at which the concentration of antioxidant in the lube oil reservoir will fall below the concentration set point. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the control system is further configured to automatically send or display a notification when an estimated volume of fresh lube oil remaining in the storage tank is less than a volume of oil required to fill the lube oil reservoir from the low level set point to the high level set point. 
     
     
       14. A process for automatic maintenance of lube oil quality, the process comprising:
 measuring, with an antioxidant sensor, a concentration of antioxidant contained in a lube oil stored in a lube oil reservoir; 
 measuring, with a level sensor, a level of lube oil within the lube oil reservoir; 
 automatically activating and deactivating, via a control system, a first controllable flow system based only upon the concentration of antioxidant measured by the antioxidant sensor; 
 automatically activating and deactivating, via the control system, a second controllable flow system based only upon the level of lube oil measured by the level sensor; and 
 automatically sending or displaying a notification by the control system when the control system estimates a volume of fresh lube oil remaining in a storage tank is less than a volume of oil required to fill the lube oil reservoir from a low level set point to a high level set point. 
 
     
     
       15. The process of  claim 14 , wherein the automatically activating the first controllable flow system comprises automatically sending a control signal from the control system to open a flow control valve when the concentration of antioxidant measured is below a concentration set point, thereby initiating flow of lube oil from the lube oil reservoir and decreasing the level of lube oil within the lube oil reservoir. 
     
     
       16. The process of  claim 15 , wherein the automatically activating the second controllable flow system comprises automatically sending a control signal from the control system to activate a pump when the level of lube oil in the lube oil reservoir decreases to the low level set point, thereby providing fresh lube oil from the storage tank to the lube oil reservoir and increasing a concentration of antioxidant within the lube oil reservoir and a level of lube oil in the lube oil reservoir. 
     
     
       17. The process of  claim 16 , wherein the automatically deactivating the first controllable flow system comprises automatically sending a control signal from the control system to close the flow control valve when the antioxidant concentration is above the concentration set point, thereby stopping the flow of lube oil from the lube oil reservoir. 
     
     
       18. The process of  claim 17 , wherein the automatically deactivating the second controllable flow system comprises automatically sending a control signal from the control system to stop the pump when the level of lube oil in the lube oil reservoir reaches the high level set point, thereby stopping a flow of fresh lube oil from the storage tank to the lube oil reservoir.